Explore the Bible
Assistant Professor of Christian Studies, University of Mobile
Victory
1 Samuel 30:6–8,18–25
Decision Time (6–8)
Upon arriving at Ziklag, David and his men were faced with a tragic reality: The Amalekites had burned the city and had taken captive their wives and all who were in the city. David’s men were so upset over losing their wives and children that they sought to stone him. David did not panic nor shrink in fear. Instead he grew strong in his trust in the Lord.
Rather than letting the mob dictate his next course of action, David turns to God for direction, inquiring as to whether to pursue those who raided the city. In response God directs him to follow the perpetrators and assures him of victory.
Recovered (18–20)
After David catches up with the raiders, he strikes “them down from twilight until the evening of the next day and not a man of them escaped, except for 400 young men who mounted camels and escaped” (1 Sam. 30:17). God then restores to David all that had been seized including his family.
Victory for All (21–25)
Some men were too exhausted to accompany David on the journey. Consequently “the wicked and worthless fellows among the men who had gone with David” wanted to deprive these soldiers of any spoils they seized from the Amalekites, except that they should receive back their wives and children (vv. 21–22). David, however, acknowledged that the spoils had come from God. Thus he instituted a law that every member of his army would receive an equal portion of what was collected.
David was correct in realizing that his men had merited nothing. Everything they possessed had come from God. Thus they had neither claim nor boast on anything.
In speaking to the Corinthians, Paul makes a similar point: “For who sees anything different in you? What do you have that you did not receive? If then you received it, why do you boast as if you did not receive it?” (1 Cor. 4:7). The Corinthians also had nothing that did not come from God. Instead of boasting, they were to thank God for their blessings.
Christians must consider that, in accordance with His will, God gives us all good things. In fact, God loves us so much that He gave us the greatest possible gift — His Son. Romans 8:32 states: “He who did not spare His own Son but gave Him up for us all, how will He not also with Him graciously give us all things?”
Those who have trusted in Jesus, God’s Son, whom the Father handed over to suffer for our sins, bearing the wrath that we deserve, will graciously receive everything that has been promised to the Son. Paul calls believers “fellow-heirs” with Christ who will share in what has been promised to Him (Rom. 8:17; cf. Gal. 3:15–4:7). What exactly will we share? In Romans 4:13, Paul says believers will inherit the world. That’s right — the world belongs to Christians. But not the present, sinful one; the world that is to come, the one that will be recreated into a new Eden (Rom. 8:14–25).
As David’s men merited nothing that they received, we too merit nothing. Jesus’ death and resurrection gains for us what we could never earn — life with Him in the new creation where we will all share in the glory that the Son of God bestows on His brothers and sisters. Unlike David’s “worthless men,” we must not be so prideful as to think that we have a right to dictate who shares in what we will receive. Rather, Jesus will give an equal portion to all who have placed their trust in Him. It gets no better than this — spending eternity with our unworthy brothers and sisters, upon whom God has richly lavished eternal life through His only Son.
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